Language and Culture

Wired News: Peace and Privacy in the Pacific

The Tachikawa Three have become a rallying point for two movements: Japanese pacifists opposing constitutional changes that would free the nation to join military actions, and a nascent pro-privacy movement that's gaining surprising ground in a country with no native word for "privacy."

Last week, I met Toshimaru Ogura, professor of political economy and information economics at Toyama University, in a cafe in Tokyo's Shinjuku Station. Much of Japan's social and professional interaction takes place in cafes, bars, parks and restaurants rather than in homes or offices. Still, the Japanese view these as public areas, subject to government surveillance, rather than private meeting places.

Culture influencing language - find some examples from Indian languages, and carry-over effects into English

e.g. Kal - word in Hindi for both yesterday and tomorrow